The dotcom revolution of the 1990s dealt a heavy blow to many Bay Area
audio professionals and musicians. Soaring real-estate costs forced
several recording and rehearsal facilities to close and encouraged an
exodus of bands, individual artists and audio pros to more affordable
cities.

Three years after the dotcom boom crested, however, there are signs of new
life. San Francisco Soundworks, located in the city's downtown area, is a
new facility designed to accommodate both big- and small-budget,
major-label and indie projects.

San Francisco Soundworks features three Pro Tools HD-equipped studios
catering to demo production and writing as well as tracking, overdubs and
mixing, according to founder Tony Espinoza.

While such an array is typical of modern studios—both commercial and
personal—San Francisco Soundworks' primary space is a more traditional,
full-blown studio featuring a Solid State Logic (SSL) 9072 J Series
console and a full complement of vintage outboard equipment and
microphones.

Securing larger-budget projects while participating in artist development
through a fledgling production company will keep the facility humming in
the midst of a prolonged music industry contraction, Espinoza says.

"There's been a continual drain of facilities and talent from the Bay
Area for a long time," he says. "I'm trying to provide a place
where people can build their careers around a facility that's going to
have everything to compete with the studios in L.A.

"Trying to cross-pollinate the major-label guys who can afford to
work in the SSL room with some of the up-and-coming folks who are
designing beats and doing more creative songwriting in the smaller rooms
is part of the magic we're trying to draw upon that you really can't get
unless you have a studio as a center of a community," Espinoza adds.
"A bunch of disparate Pro Tools home studios doesn't accomplish
that."

A recent project illustrates the allure Espinoza believes his facility has
for artists, producers and engineers: John Cale tracked and mixed in the
SSL studio with engineer/producer Mikael "Count" Eldridge (see
story, page 43). Espinoza feels an SSL J Series console on the West Coast
that is not in Los Angeles is a valuable asset.

"John Cale came here instead of going to L.A., where he could have
gone to a million of these things. Partly, he came here because there was
a talented guy he wanted to help produce this record. There are guys like
Count who have to travel to do their work, but they're residents here.
Their inspiration and whole life is centered in San Francisco. The
investment in the console in a room like this creates that center for them
to do real work here and bring projects to the city."

With an SSL J Series, three Pro Tools HD-based production studios and
loft-style residences for clients, Espinoza is confident in the facility's
future. "There has been an interesting switch," he observes.
"There was this initial wave of people really falling in love with
home studios, building really fancy Pro Tools rooms in their houses, and
now things have evolved enough that people know what the limitations of a
system like that are. So they know what key things they have to go into a
studio to do."